EV Charging in Arkansas: What the Numbers Mean
Arkansas's residential electricity rate is 11.1¢/kWh — 5.0¢ below the national average of 16.1¢/kWh, which works in EV owners' favor. At that rate, a typical EV (3.5 mi/kWh) costs $381/year to charge at home for 12,000 miles.
Compared to a 30 MPG gas car at $2.87/gal ($1148/year for the same miles), EV home charging saves $767/year — $3,835 over 5 years, before incentives.
Home Charging vs Public Charging in Arkansas
The biggest driver of EV cost is where you charge. Home charging at 11.1¢/kWh is always the cheapest option. Public Level 2 stations average around 27.8¢/kWh — 2.5x more expensive. DC fast chargers run about 33.8¢/kWh. Tesla Superchargers in Arkansas are estimated at 24.5¢–30.5¢/kWh depending on membership.
Most EV owners do 80%+ of their charging at home overnight. If you don't have home charging access, the economics shift significantly — charging entirely at public DC fast chargers would cost $1159/year in Arkansas, narrowing the gap with gas considerably.